PHOTOGRAPHY

Go for a very small, durable portable camera if you don’t have a lot of experience; too much technology can be a hindrance. Plus, the more doodads you have on your camera the heavier it is. APS cameras are smaller and lighter than 35mm, but the film can be more expensive and the negatives are smaller, which yields a lower-quality picture. Buy your camera from a well-respected local store; they can give you the most service. When you're choosing your camera, hold it in your hand to see if it's comfortable. Look through the viewfinder to see if your eye is comfortable using it. A great basic point-and-shoot camera is the Pentax 928. It has a 28-to-90mm zoom lens, which provides a geat deal of flexibility. It retails for about $200. Zoom/Flash/Panoramic Views Getting a camera with some zoom and a flash will provide you with versatility. The panoramic feature on 35mm and APS point-and-shoot cameras is deceptive. All it does is chop off a portion of your negative to make it appear more elongated, and then the photo is printed a bit longer. You can achieve higher-quality results by using a regular camera. Film If you're using a point-and-shoot camera, 400mm film is best. You need more sensitive film because most point-and-shoot cameras use a small battery and therefore are a bit slow. Take the amount of film you think you need and multiply it by 1.5. Coming home with extra film is better than leaving with too little. Batteries Pack some extra batteries, as sometimes they are more expensive or hard to find abroad.

For the More Serious Photographer

Camera Single lens reflex cameras (cameras with detachable lenses) provide much more flexibility than do point-and-shoot cameras. You can use much lower-speed film and get a finer, higher-quality picture. The cheapest good-quality camera of this type is the Canon Rebel 2000, which comes with a basic 28-to- 80mm zoom lens, a built-in flash, one set of batteries and a strap for about $400. The Nikon N-70 is one step up. With a lens it is about $600. Nikon has the best reputation; it's been king on the pro block for the past few years. Tripod Tripods are a problem. Everybody wants them light and cheap. Because you are trying to create stability for your camera, however, weight is helpful. There are lightweight tripods made of carbon fiber materials that are more sturdy, but if you buy one, your wallet will be lighter too! Be prepared to fork up as much as your would spend for a camera if you want a carbon fiber tripod. Extra Batteries Lens Cleaning Cloths Lens cleaning cloths are better than lens tissue. They're reusable and don't leave lint. Flash In general, the bigger a flash is, the better it is. The objective is not to make the image brighter but to make it cleaner. You should not be trying to get things that are 75 feet away with a flash. You want to photograph things close to you with as high an aperture as possible when you can. The appropriate size of your flash depends on the camera. It can cost about $200 and up for a good one. As you move up in price you move up in power and in features, and how the flash, camera and lens communicate. Filter There should be an UV filter on your lens at all times. Camera Bag You can buy a multi-purpose camera bag, or you can jerry-rig a backpack with foam to protect your lenses. Lead-lined Bag True photographers don't trust the assurances of the airline industry. To protect your film, use lead-lined bags and ask for a hand inspection. Nice lead-lined bags can cost about $25.

Special Concerns for Extreme Climates and Conditions

Sand/Underwater Sand will find a way to get where it's not supposed to be…like in your camera. You can get a camera that is protected for underwater and it will be able to withstand sand. Or you can buy underwater housings for conventional cameras. The Nikonos V is the best underwater camera. It's about $2,000 with a flash, which underwater photography requires. Extreme Cold Battery death is the primary problem when you're in cold weather. You can get anti-cold battery packs for some professional cameras, and carry an extra battery. Anti-cold battery packs cost about $50 and up. They are not available for all cameras. Heat Film needs to be kept at room temperature for amateur-quality film, and refrigerated for professional-quality film.

What about Digital Cameras?

Digital cameras are great and they are still improving, but their quality does not approach that of good conventional cameras. A digital camera for less than $1,000 cannot deliver more than a conventional camera can and you can't do much to manipulate the pictures (except what you do in the picture editor afterwards). That said, digital cameras are convenient, especially if you plan to put most of your images on the web. But if you're committed to high-quality digitized images, the best, if inconvenient, method is to use a conventional camera and a scanner.